Board discusses addition to sign and repairs to historic tunnel

Thursday

Aug 17, 2017 at 12:01 AMAug 17, 2017 at 6:58 AM

By Gena Johnson, Editor

Installation of an addition to a present crosswalk sign were among the topics discussed at the Aug. 9 Board of Supervisors meeting. The addition will be located on the present crosswalk sign next to the sheriff’s office on 1019 W. Mamie Eisenhower Ave. and the courthouse on 201 State St.

A majority of the cost for the sign is paid for by safety grants from Iowa Communities Assurance Pool (ICAP).

“We actually ordered it and are waiting for delivery. I think it is going to be delivered in two weeks,” Russ Stevens, director of building and grounds at the courthouse, said. The new addition to the sign will include a button, which can be pressed to turn on flashing lights.

“They (the sheriff’s office) have to transport prisoners - they walk over to go to the courthouse for their hearings upstairs,” Steve Duffy, chairman of the Board of Supervisors, said. “Generally, a lot of those guys (prisoners) are in shackles and they can’t walk very fast. Well, there is a crosswalk there that they come across the street on and there is a sign indicating crosswalk - but sometimes people come through there pretty fast.”

The sign’s new flashing lights, Duffy said, will alert motorists that when the crosswalk is in use they need to stop.

Historically, Duffy and Stevens said on a rare occasion prisoners used to take a different way to the courthouse. If the sheriff’s office feared for a prisoner’s safety or if the prisoner was dangerous enough they would be transported to the courthouse through the tunnel. A tunnel beneath Main Street - west of the courthouse - was used when the old Sheriff’s office was located there. “The old sheriff’s office and jail used to be right across the street in that location (where 211 Main St. is now) and so in inclement weather or if they (the sheriff’s office) had a dangerous prisoner they would bring them to the courthouse through that tunnel that comes out in the basement,” Duffy said. ““From the basement they could get in the elevator and take them up to the courtroom.”

Duffy and Stevens recall the old building being a house around 1917, in which the Sheriff and wife lived and housed the prisoners.

“It was very common in counties back then, that they would have a combination of a jail and Sheriff’s office/house,” Duffy said.

The age of the tunnel and the need for repairs were also discussed during the meeting.

“There is a problem with it (the tunnel) where it goes under the road area, from moisture and salt. It has kind of taken a toll on the concrete and needs some work done on it to re-plaster it and seal it off,” Duffy said.

Energy Group is the company the board will be bringing in to make repairs to the tunnel and evaluate various equipment used by the courthouse.

“They (Energy Group) are going to do an assessment analysis of heating and cooling, energy savings, projects we can do for the courthouse,” said Stevens, the county’s director of building and grounds. “The steam-line for heat for the courthouse runs through there (the tunnel) and the boilers (located) in the waterhouse (211 Main St.) is piped underground. There’s the main phone line feed that comes through that tunnel along with electricity to the waterhouse.”

The boilers are located across the street, because historically boilers were generally built in a location away from the main building incase they explode, Duffy said.

Duffy said depending on changes made by Energy Group, there might not be a need for the tunnel.

“Say if we were to put in a different system, we wouldn’t use the tunnel and they (Energy Group) would just fill it in instead of repairing it,” Duffy said. The tunnel, Duffy believes, is no longer used for any other purposes but to house the pipes leading to the courthouse.

In other business the board:Approved the Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) pre-construction agreement for the primary road project STPN-017-2(28)-2J-08), which are improvements to Iowa 17.

Signed a contract for Boone County - R.B.C. Culvert Replacement - single box project L-CR-16 between Boone County and Gus Construction in the amount of $228,608. An IDOT Contractor Bond was also signed for this project. Awarded the repairs of drainage district #82 to Jet Drain: quotes received – Jet Drain $3,750; Tony’s Tile Repair $5,000.

Approved Wolf Films/Shed Media filming in only the public areas of the courthouse.

Approved an IPERS change to law enforcement for Katie Healy a Naturalist/Ranger at the Boone County Conservation and terminated seasonal help Bruce Schuller who was a Weed Spray Driver for the county engineer’s office.

Appointed the following individuals to vacant spots on the County Boards and Commissions: Steve Duffy, Board of Supervisors; Bill Zinnel, Board of Supervisors; Chad Behn, Board of Supervisors; Heidi Kokemiller, Board of Supervisors administrative assistant; Tara Breon office manager with the Secondary Roads Department; Lois Powers, Landfill Administrator; and Sgt. Cole Hoffman with the Boone County Sheriff’s Department.